Japanese breakfasts at home

11/11/2015

Here in Australia, and especially so in Sydney and Melbourne, a defining aspect of our culture is weekend brunch. After a big night out, a stressful week at work, or a long needed catch up with friends, brunch is one of the things that we look forward to the most. Cafes in Surry Hills are packed on weekends, and you have to get up early just to make sure you get there before all seats are taken. Waiting lines aren’t uncommon, and brunch has spread into the inner west with suburbs like Marrickville becoming hot spots for food bloggers.

But what is breakfast like in Japan? As much as we consider it a normal part of hanging out, brunch isn’t popular in all countries. Breakfast in Japan is usually very simple, and not something shared with friends but usually only immediate family – and only if everyone leaves the house at the same time. Most breakfasts are extremely simple – think plain white rice, natto, and miso soup. Fresh fruit is expensive in Japan, but local Japanese citruses are popular for health conscious breakfasters. Toast is a universal breakfast food, but it’s thick cut and lot sweeter than Australian bread. While we prefer artisanal sourdough, Japan still likes traditional white bread with lots of butter.

Photo: onigiri rice balls from 7eleven

Eating on the go is common place too, with konbini (convenience stores) like 7eleven selling pretty decent food at really low prices, picking up a rice ball or a meat bun on the way to work or school is an easy alternative to cooking. Schoolgirls running with a piece of toast in their mouth is a cliche used in animes and pop culture to depict someone running late. The source of this cliche is that it actually does happen! As you can see, Japanese breakfasts are super simple, so a single piece of toast can easily be the whole meal rather than just one part of it.

Brunch is starting to become a trend in Japan though, but it’s quite Western in the food that is served. Bill’s from Surry Hills actually has a bunch of restaurants in Japan, most notably the Omotesando branch. Famous for pancakes, the menu is pretty similar to the Surry Hills location. Acai bowls, drinks, and yoghurt is probably easier to find in Japan than it is here! Most convenience stores stock acai drinks – they’re considered super healthy and are usually bought by girls on diets. Japanese brunch cafes are popping up in Sydney as well. They have a strong matcha and dessert focus, so even though they are authentic, they’re not a true representation of what Japanese people eat for breakfast!

Try making your own Japanese breakfast this weekend with this miso soup recipe from SBS.